


Awake or Asleep

by ideallyqualia



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Universe, Cats, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Magical Realism, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 18:55:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4233000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/pseuds/ideallyqualia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Kenma is a cat, and sometimes he isn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Awake or Asleep

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rin-Darling (pipergrace2015)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pipergrace2015/gifts).



> I'm not your assigned person, but I wanted to do kenhina and you seemed to like fluff in your prompts so tada!

As a cat, Kenma was even quieter than his human self. He walked on the floor with the pads of his paws, his footsteps muffled instead of clacking with the tips of his nails.  

Hinata wasn't surprised to see him as a cat when Kenma was just a human a few minutes ago, but he  _was_ startled by Kenma nudging his foot with his nose.

Hinata jumped on the couch, his foot retracting to his body. "Kenma!" He lowered his foot and arms. "Don't do that. You scared me."

Kenma didn't seem apologetic. He leapt onto the couch and settled in a loose curl, feet tucked close to his stomach. He couldn't play video games without fingers, but he still seemed content to lie next to Hinata silently, especially with his side pressed against Hinata's leg. His tail flickered a little as Hinata sat back down, but it didn't stop until Hinata brought his hand to Kenma's head. Hinata scratched his fur, concentrating behind his ears and wandering down to Kenma's neck.

Kenma's eyes drifted closed, but he still didn't purr. Hinata had never heard him purr before; only small meows to catch his attention or heavy exhales. Kenma couldn't talk like this, so sometimes he just stared at Hinata, eyes fixed on him curiously or slanted if he was happy.

"Are you hungry?" Hinata asked. "There's rice and fish, but I don't think cats can eat rice."

Kenma stretched out on the couch, tail swishing as his head bowed for a yawn. He shook his head afterward.

Hinata returned to scratching Kenma's head. Kenma let his head follow the momentum slightly, and his eyes fell closed again. Kenma wasn't paying attention to the TV anymore, he was loosening up and breathing heavier, giving into pleasantly hazy sleep.

Hinata clicked the TV off, and he jumped off the couch. He threw a blanket off himself, and it flopped over Kenma's head, a flap covering half his face. Kenma tried to shuck it off with a head jerk, but it didn't work, and he struggled with the fabric when he accidentally used his claws to pull it off.

A few minutes later, Hinata came back and found Kenma tangled in the blanket, his nose twisted in a grimace.

"How'd you get like this?" HInata asked.

Kenma raised his head, eyes sharp. Hinata gave an uneasy smile, sensing that Kenma was glaring at him for a reason. He peeled away the blanket and Kenma rolled back onto his feet.

Kenma leapt off the couch, and when he got to the kitchen, he opened the fridge with human hands again. He took a glass of water and headed back to the living room.

Hinata perked up. "Kenma? What did you--"

Kenma picked up the blanket with his free hand and dumped it on Hinata's head.

 

* * *

 

Hinata got carried away when it came to shopping for Kenma. Hinata bought cat toys and supplies with the enthusiasm of someone who was going to use his purchases himself. 

"Kenma, come on." Hinata dangled a feathery toy in front of Kenma.

Kenma rarely showed any interest in these kinds of presents. His eyes trailed over the one in Hinata's hand, a long rope-like toy with a fluffy ball at the end that Kenma supposed he had to bat at with his paw. It bounced in the air, but it didn't compel him to play.

The other one Hinata bought today was a bell hanging by a string. Kenma lazily hit it with his foot to hear it, and he decided that it was annoying to listen to.

Kenma sat back on his two hind legs and lifted a paw to groom.

Hinata sighed and left them on the table. Kenma felt a little bad that he disappointed Hinata, but after all this time Hinata still wasn't taking the hint. Kenma would rather have Hinata scratch his head, or rub his fur against Hinata's leg.

When Hinata wasn't looking, Kenma walked up to the feathered toy. He dragged it along the floor, and he climbed the back of the couch until he was right behind Hinata. He was sure Hinata still didn't notice him, so he angled his head with the toy in his mouth and dangled it in front of Hinata's head. Kenma shook his head back and forth to rattle the ball in Hinata's face.

Hinata stiffened and scooted away in sudden alarm. After a second, he relaxed and snorted. "Kenma…"

Kenma slid down onto the couch cushions, dropping the toy in Hinata's lap.

When Hinata woke up, he found the toy taped to his bed frame, hanging above his head.

 

* * *

 

Kenma didn't realize it, but he still acted cat-like as a human. Hinata caught him pawing at the window when it was raining, and Kenma ended up just resting his head against the glass, feeling the cold on his skin. While sleeping on the bed, he curled up too, although it wasn't with the same flexibility. 

When he was a cat, Kenma liked to climb the fence and walk along the top of it, his feet pointed to step on the wooden fence with precision. He jumped through trees and onto the roof if he felt like it, but from there he usually didn't want to move for a while. He sat on the roof to take in the sun, or he did so on the grass. The grass was tall and thick, and Kenma was comfortable lying in it, even as a human. Sometimes he rolled onto his back.

Some of his habits stuck when he was a human. He walked with the quiet grace and succinct steps of a cat, feet light until he became tired and lazy. Kenma scratched his head with a curled posture in his wrist, the same way he did as a cat.

"Kenma, you just licked your hand," Hinata said a few minutes after Kenma scratched.

Kenma finally registered the small patch of wet skin on the back of his hand. He wiped it on his pants, eyes glancing elsewhere.

After a few minutes, Kenma felt a prickling sensation on his neck, the itchy need to be petted. He scratched there, but his nails felt too sharp for his human skin.

"Shouyou," he said quietly, "scratch my neck."

Hinata's cheeks puffed in amusement, mouth tight from holding back a laugh. He still snorted through his nose. "A-alright," Hinata said.

From his voice, Kenma couldn't tell if he was just entertained, or if he was embarrassed at the request too.

Hinata reached a hand out anyway, scratching and rubbing at Kenma's neck. Kenma was frowning at Hinata's reaction, but he settled and relaxed at the continued rub that went up to his head.

"Feel better?" Hinata asked.

"Yes. Thanks." Kenma gestured at him to remove the hand.

Hinata moved it to pat Kenma's head, and before Kenma could squint at him for it, Hinata kissed him, a quick press of lips.

Hinata then stood up. "I'm going to check and see what my mom left in the fridge. Do you want something to eat?"

Kenma nodded. "Anything but fish. You keep giving me fish, and I'm getting bored of it."

Hinata rubbed the back of his head. "Oh. Sorry."

**Author's Note:**

> (General A/N that exists at the end of all my fics): I find unsolicited concrit really rude, I'm not looking for any. Please don't tell me someone was OOC/something happened you didn't like/it's too short/etc. in any bookmarks or comments.


End file.
